Triage and Testing

***Please note this post may be a little graphic***

Saturday November 22, 2008 @ 10AM- Prenatal massage

Saturday November 22, 2008 @ 11AM- I stood up from the massage table to get dressed and a HUGE gush of "water" came out of me. I immediately panicked. Got dressed and left the spa. Called my doctor and they told me to come into Triage and Testing. I was scared and crying- almost hysterical. If you do not know, a baby who is 23 weeks developed will not survive outside of the womb. I started to pray. I prayed to the Lord to protect my baby and not let anything happen to him. I got home and immediately started yelling for Donovan. He came running in from the back yard and I was hysterical. I told him what happened and we where on our way to Presbyterian. I continued to pray and cry. I got out of the car to walk into the hospital and noticed that my undergarments where all wet- this could only mean one thing (I thought). That my water DID break. They say if your water breaks it is USUALLY a gush and then a slow continued leak. We checked to triage and waited for about 30 minutes. The doctor came in and hooked me up to all sorts of machines. One to monitor the babies heart beat, one to monitor contractions (that I was NOT having, Thank you Lord) and several others.


Saturday November 22, 2008 12PM. The doctor did an exam. This is how the exam goes (leaving out intimate details). They have a tape (looks sort of like the tape you use to test water from a sink if you think it might be contaminated). The tape starts off at a yellowish brown color, and if your water has in fact broke, the tape will turn a dark blue. So the doctor does the first test- and sure enough the tape turned a GREENISH blue. The Dr. said "looks like you ruptured". So here I am crying HYSTERICALLY, my legs in stirrups on a hospital bed. Donovan by my side telling me that everything will be ok and he started praying. Then something miraculous happened. The Dr. asks the nurse assisting her in the room "why did the tape turn this blue green color and not dark blue? Shouldnt the tape be yellow when you start the test". And the nurse replied "unless we have a new kind of tape then it should start at yellow and become dark blue if her water broke, let me go ask someone else"... and she leaves the room. I am still hysterical, crying uncontrollebly, and the Dr. and my husband trying to calm me down. The nurse comes back in and says "the tape should be dark blue... maybe it was contaminated, maybe it was exposed to oxygen for to long, maybe, maybe, maybe"... So they get a new package of tape and do another test.

Saturday November 22, 2008 12:30PM- The second strip of tape starts off at the yellowish brown color, they run the test and the tape turns BRIGHT yellow- GOOD NEWS, if the tape turns even more yellow then when it started then the results are NEGATIVE! PRAISE GOD!!!!!! So at this point I calm down a little and ask for more tests... They do two other types of tests, one under the microscope and those two come back NEGATIVE. My water did not break. They do a ultrasound just to quadruple check and sure enough, the baby is SURROUNDED with amniotic fluid!!!!!

Saturday November 22, 2008 12:40PM- The Dr. gives me the Ok to be released from the hospital, I get disconnected from all the machines and out of my hospital gown- we have never been so happy to leave a hospital on OUR lives.

Needless to say- I will not get a prenatal massage ever again. If you are pregnant, and as long as your Doctor says so, you can have massages. I was even given the ok to see a chiropractor... that wont be done.

I prayed to my Lord and Savior that day, all day long. I thanked him over and over for my baby's health!

If my water would have broke I would have been admitted to the hopsital and we would have did this waiting game. I would either go into labor very soon, or the baby could possible survive inside my body for weeks. However long it took me to go into labor I would be in the hospital. A baby can not survive outside of the womb until at least 27 weeks- even then it is not garaunteed the baby will live or be healthy. So praise God everything was ok.

Thank you Jesus- we love you very much!

Noah's Ark

Man Builds Noah's Ark (exact scale given in Bible)

Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opened In SCHAGEN, Netherlands.
The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was opened the first crowd of curious townsfolk to behold the wonder. Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark , built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house. Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold. A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine. Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been.

Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005. On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel.

Visitors on the first day were stunned. 'It's past comprehension', said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw the ark looming over the local landscape.

'I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big.' There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark. Huibers, a Christian man, said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years.

Now that I am old and gray...give me the time to tell this new generation (and their children too) about all your mighty miracles. Psalm 71:18

**Some people do some mighty things in the name of the Lord**

My thoughts for today.

So my post today is about Tylenol... You are probably wondering why in the world I am blogging about Tylenol. Well first let me start by saying that when I originally found out I was pregnant I had made an agreement with myself that I would not take any medications unless I was medically directed by my doctor. There are a few over-the-counter medications that pregnant women are approved to take; for example, Tylenol, Tums, Robitussin, and cough drops to name a few.

Well... I have had EXCRUCIATING back pain for the last 3 days. I can not sit, I can not stand, I can not lay, and I can not bend. It is horrible. I called my doctor and everything is OK, just normal aches and pains from pregnancy. Well today has been the worst day of all. Last night it got so bad I got up and slept in the guest bedroom (we have a brand new FIRM mattress in there) and that seemed to help me sleep a little better. So today I took a Tylenol. Just one, but one to many to make me feel guilty. I feel SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO guilty right now for taking it. I feel that I could suffer through the pain just to help out my baby. I only took one pill, but my goodness I feel guilty. I wont do that again. It is back to heat pads, hot baths and stretching (None of this helps by the way).

I have to give a shout out to my dear Husband. He has been SOOOOO incredibly good to me the last few days because of this. He has been my official laundry basket carrier, cramped in the corner of the bed guy (because I use so many pillows), dinner cooker, pick things up off the floor man, help me sit up and lay down man, and everything else in between to help me out. THANK YOU DONOVAN! I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!

By the way- I am going to get a prenatal massage Saturday and probably once a week until I feel better. I was told its OK to see a Chiropractor as well, but I am going to see if the massages help before I do that.

I FEEL SOOOOOO GUILTY FOR TAKING THE TYLENOL AND I KNEW I WOULD... by the way, it didn't help alleviate the pain. AHHHHHHHHHHH

Dear Lord

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day,I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning.I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude.Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. And give me the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray,You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak...Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.
I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank You that I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes; that they are out of debt and all their needs are met. I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God.
Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received
into the hearts of every eye that sees it in Jesus' name.

Amen!

It's a Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well... We found out today we are having a boy!!! We are SUPER excited and Donovan is over the moon. The sucky thing is that we where supposed to have a 3D ultrasound today. Well silly me hasn't been drinking enough water... they say you should drink at least a gallon of water a day when you are pregnant. I am lucky if I drink half that.

In order to get a GOOD image on the 3D your baby has to be in a super full sac of amniotic fluid. Well since I have not been drinking water like I should, my baby is cramped inside my body with not a whole lot of amniotic fluid. So we made another appointment on Nov 21st. I was instructed to drink at least 4 liters of water a day until then so that they can get better 3D images!!!! So when that happens I will most those images! For the regular ultrasound you do not need all the amniotic fluid to get good results.

So my husband keeps telling me "DRINK MORE WATER"... he makes sure I get enough!

I am happy to say that my good friend Brianna started a blog today. I am so excited for her. If you want to read her blog just let me know and I can have her send you an invitation to read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is super cute!Her and I have a great past, great present, and a God blessed future as friends/family. You may be wondering why I call her family/cousin. She is Donovan's cousin, however Donovan and I are VERY close to her and her husband Cory!... Here is a silly picture of Brianna and I one day at a party!!!!


One more thing- I just want to say THANK YOU to all our Veterans who have served for the U.S. military. Even if you are a soldier THANK YOU for all you do. It is because of you that I can even write this blog. May the love of God bless you all!

Thank You, Lord, for the men and women of our armed forces. Protect them as they protect us. Defend them as they defend us. Encourage and strengthen their spirit, soul, and body in the execution of their duties and responsibilities. May they be mentally and physically strong when required to face the challenges of combat. Under gird them with Your Holy Spirit and might when they are called upon to endure the hardships of battle.
I pray that nothing would take them by surprise, but that they would be aware of all potential aggression. Enable them to curtail hostile actions before they start. Reveal to military leaders the strategies and plots that enemies would wage. Give leaders wisdom and insight in all decisions. May response to any aggression by enemies of this nation be swift, accurate, and effective.
Father, give our military favor with the governmental agencies of this country. I pray that our Congress would appropriate sufficient funds to keep our nation's military preeminent and strong in the world.
Thank You, Lord, for providing America with the best trained, equipped, and lead military force in the world today. Fill them with Your saving grace and the gospel of peace that they may be shining witnesses of Your heavenly love.
Enrich them spiritually that they may cope with life and death situations on the field of battle. When their military brothers and sisters fall in action, give them the strength to continue the good fight. Relieve any feelings of guilt that they may experience if they have to kill another of Your children, in every situation. Help them to realize that they are called to perform at capacity, and unfortunately killing others may sometimes be required of them. Instill in them Your love, showing them mercy and forgiveness when they must break the fifth commandment out of necessity. Whenever possible, guide them to find more humane ways to achieve their goals, keeping the number of casualties at a minimum.
In Jesus' Holy Name, I humbly pray. Amen.

One more post on my past!

Since this blog is about my life I thought it would be best to start the 1st few posts about my past... Donovan is camping this weekend, so I have some free time right now!

We have friends in many places. On of the places we OFTEN visit is Pagosa Springs Colorado. Donovans very good friend(s) Nathan and Luke Hoffman have family and friends up there. Pagosa is such a beautiful place that we love to go often. Here are a few pictures of us hanging out with friends in Pagosa!





Now on to a more personal detail of my life... I have a cousin who is serving twenty years in a federal penitentiary in Lompoc CA. We where very close before he was sentenced. We still are, however we communicate via letters and only see each other every few years. Let me start by saying, yes he did do something wrong, but let me also say, that the crime he committed does NOT warrant a twenty year sentence (and I am not just being biased either). One day, maybe I will tell you what he did. He did not murder someone, or commit a drug crime. I miss him dearly, and if I had the money I would go see him every six months. Donovan and I went to go see him in March of this year. We took pictures while at the prison, as soon as I scan those I will post them. With this trip to California we also decided to vacation a few days in Santa Barbara (Lompoc is about 40 miles north of Santa Barbara). My GOODNESS Santa Barbara is a beautiful place.


Although having my cousin in prison has been extremely hard on my family and I, through the love of Jesus Christ I have learned to except it. God is working in wonderful ways in my cousins life, and it is truly blessing to see his transformation!

For some reason my photos are not posting in the correct spots... sorry. One last thing!!! Donovan and I have both graduated from the University of Phoenix with our Bachelor degree's!!! Donovan received his in Information Technology and I received mine in Business Management!!!! Pictures from that are below!!!!



On Tuesday I will start posting about the present! Hopefully we will find out the sex of our 1st born! More from me then!!!!!

My first post!!!!

Well... Where do I start.

Since this is my first post maybe I should start from a moment in my life when I was 16. This is when I met my husband, Donovan. We met through a mutual friend and began quickly dating. We dated for 6 years before we decided to get married. We got married in August 2004 and have been happily married since then! We currently live in Los Lunas where we both went to high school. In March of 2008 we decided to try to conceive. Well needless to say, that didn't take long. We got news I was pregnant on July 6, 2008!!!! Today, I am currently 21 weeks and 1 day!!!!!!! Here is some photo's from our 20 week ultrasound (baby was being shy, so we where unable to find out the sex). Since I ABSOLUTELY need to know the sex of my first born we are doing a 3D ultrasound on Tuesday Nov. 11th!!! I will let you know the outcome of that- I know the pictures are SUPER small, but I am still learning, so be kind!

This blog is mostly going to be about my life as a first time mother and wife! Among that I will also talk about day to day experiences and maybe a few past experiences.

Now on to two past experiences that you might be interested in knowing. First, in September 2007 Donovan and I were blessed with a vacation to Kauai, Hawaii!!! We had a blast. Here is a short video from a luau we attended while we where there!

Needless to say, Donovan was sooooo embarrassed when I so graciously volunteered him to go on stage! We did lots of exciting stuff on this trip including a zip line tour when we where there! This was the most fun part of the trip!

One more past experience- I am sure most of you remember Kelly Rhodes (now Martinez). She was my VERY best friend since the seventh grade. Unfortunately we lost contact after high school. After eight years, she has contacted me again via a mutual friend. We have rekindled our friendship just like it used to be and God could not have blessed me more with such a great friend! She has a one year old daughter, Angelina, and is also expecting. Her and my due dates are exactly 11 days apart!

To finish my first post, I want to say THANK YOU to Brianna Dupuy (my very best friend/cousin, who I am sure will be talked about a lot on this blog) who introduced me to blogging! I love reading other peoples blogs, and I sure hope you find mine interesting as well. I am going to try to convince her to start one as well!